Pulley-coupling for clothes-lines



(Nomaden.)

N. W. DONNAN; PULLEY GOUPLING FOR CLOTHES LINES.

No. 466,458. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

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UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN w. DoNNAN, 0E AMSTERDAM, NEw YORK.

PU LLEY-COUPLING FOR CLOTH ES-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,458, dated January 5, 1892.

*Application filed April ll, 1891.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN W. DONNAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pulley-Couplings for Clothes-Lines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relatesto a pulley-coupling for clothes-lines; and it consists of the combinations of devices and elements hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of my pulley-coupling for clothes-line. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a face View of a modication of the same having its yoke-body constructed of wire, and Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the clothes-line supported from the usual pulleys and having my invention applied thereto.

The same letters of reference referto similar parts throughout the several Views.

A is the coupling-yoke,which may be made of thin sheet or strip metal, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, or a yoke A', made of wire, as in Fig. 3, may be substituted for said yoke A. When iron or steel is used, I tin or ycoat with zinc or other suitable non-corroding material or substance the outer surface of the same. This coupling-yoke has in one of its end portions, as in the upper end portion, a sheave B, loosely pivoted therein by pivot-pin b, so as to be freely revolved between the limbs a and d', as shown. In its opposite end portion this yoke is provided with a clamping device C, which is formed between the limbs ct and 0.2. The said yoke, whether made of a strip of sheet metal, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or of wire, as in Fig. 3,`is composed of the limbs d, c', and d2, formed of a single piece, with the limbs d and a2 integral with the main limb a, as shown. Of this yoke the limb a', to-

gether with the upper half portion of limb a, forms the sheave-holder B', receiving sheave B, and the pivot-pin b, on which said sheave Serial No. 388,516. (No model.)

revolves, while the limb a2 and the lower half portion of limb ct constitute the coacting portions of the clamping device C for clamping the yoke to the line E. This clamping device has for its elastic element the loop 0.3 at the lower end of theyoke and integral with boththe said limb a2 and lower end of limb a, and the facing sides of. the said portions a. a2 of this 6o clamping device C are made with a concave form, as at d', for presenting to the line to be clamped a large amount of holding-surface, which will not injure the same. Between the lower end of limb d', forming a part of the 65 sheave-holder B', and the upper end of limb ce2, forminga part of the clamping device C, is the passage-way c, leading to both the sheave B and to the said clamping device. The ends of the said limbs ct and dterminating at the said 7o passage-way c, are each provided with an outwardly-turned guiding-lip c', which contributes to facilitate the operations forbringing the rope of the endless line to opposite the said passage-way. Below the plane of the guiding-,lip c', at the upper terminal of the limb a2, 'forming a part of the clamping device C, is the throat d, leading from opening c to betweenthe sides d d of the said clamping device. This throat dis made contracted 8o in relation to both the passage-way c and the opening between the sides dd of the clamping device, so that while the rope of the endless clothes-line may readily pass to the sheave it will not readily pass down between the said clamping sides d d without application 'of force, as the force of the gravity of the clothes loading the lower line of the endless rope or line E.

E is an endless clothes-line suspended in 9o the usual manner from pulleys F F, connected with suitable supports G G. The pulleycoupling is shown in Fig. et to be applied to the two lines e e and holding the lower line e coupled or yoked with the line e, so that the weight of the clothes on line e will be supported equally by lthe two lines e and e of the endless clothes-line. In an endless clothesline of a length of, say, fifty feet between the pulleys F F two or three of these pulley-couproc lings will be sufficient for use in holding the lower line e yoked to the upper one, so that the latter will be made to sustain an equal amount of weight with the former.

The manner in which this pulley-coupling is applied is as follows: A11 operator, working at one end of the endless clothes-line E, will hang on the lower line e' of the same the garments to be held suspended therefrom until twelve or fifteen feet (more or less) of said line e is iilled, when he will apply one of these pulley-couplings to the clothes-lines by first passing the upper line through the opening c between the sheave-holder B and clamping device C. rlhen dropping the device down until the groove in the sheave B rides on the said upper line e, he will raise the lower line e sufficiently to pass the same through the opening c, and then allow said lower line to pass down the contracted throat d to between the sides d CZ of the clamping device C, when the two halves or lines e e will be coupled together. The operator will then proceed to iill another twelve or ifteen feet ot` the lower line with clothes and apply a second pulley-coupling in substantially the same manner, and will thus proceed until the line is lled as far as is desired. 'When these pulley-couplings have been applied, as above described, the operator can easily move this endless clothes-line, though loaded with clothes, through the pulleys F F, as the sheave B of this .device will readily and freely travel on the upper line e, though its clamping device C tightly holds with the body of the lower line e. A reversal of operations will enable the operator to remove the device.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pulley-coupling for endless lines, the combination, with sheave B, of the coupling-yoke composed of limbs a a a2, made integral and from a single piece of metal and provided in one side thereof with the passageway c, formed between the terminals of limbs a d2 and leading to said sheave, and to the contracted throat d, leading to between the eoacting sides of the elastic clamping device formed by the limb d2, and the lower end portion of limb on madeintegral with each other by means of the elastic loop a3, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a pulley-coupling for endless lines, the combination, with sheave B, of the coup ling-yoke made of a single strip or piece of metal so bent to a form as to produce in one of its sides the unobstructed passage-wayc to within the said yoke and have integral with its main limb at the limb ci. for forming a holder for the sheave, and integral with the said main limb, the limb d2 for forming the elastic clamping device C,which has itsclamping sides cl', of concave form, at a point below the contracted throat d, leading from said passage-way e to within said clamping device, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a pulley-coupling for an endless line, the yoke formed of a single piece of metal composed of a main limb a and the limbs a a2, respectively, integral with the former, and having the passage-way e, provided with guid ing-lips c', formed by the outward curving of the terminals of thesaid limbs c' a2, and leading to the sheave B, loosely mounted between limbs ct and a', and also to the contracted throat d, leading to between the concave sides of the elastic clamping device C, formed between limbs a and a2, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afx my signature in pres* ence ot' two witnesses.

' NATHAN W. DONNAN.

Witnesses:

F. W. YEAGGAST, G. C. WILLIAMS. 

